Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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There are a number of programmes available to schools that address crimes related to sexual violence.

At primary level, the Stay Safe Programmeis a mandatory part of the Social Personal and Health Education (SPHE) programme. The Stay Safe programme is a personal safety skills programme for use with primary school children from Junior Infants through to 6th class. The programme seeks to enhance children’s self-protective skills by participation in lessons on safe and unsafe situations, bullying, inappropriate touch, secrets, telling and stranger danger. The programme aims to give children the skills necessary to enable them to recognise and resist abuse/victimisation and teaches them that they should always tell (an adult that can help) about any situation which they find unsafe, upsetting, threatening, dangerous or abusive.

At post primary level, two programmes are in place which come under the heading of Personal Safety. One of these programmes is for junior cycle which addresses personal safety in relationships and explores topics such as healthy and unhealthy relationships, consent and domestic gender-based and sexual violence. The other programme, which is for senior cycle,addresses topics such as domestic violence, sexual harassment, dating violence and rape. Both of these programmes were designed by the Professional Development Support Service (PDST) and are intended to be taught as part of the wider Social Personal and Health Education /Relationships and Sexuality Education curriculum. Professional development support is available to teachers, directly linked to these resources.

In addition to these programmes, which have been developed by my Department, there are also a wide range of other agencies and NGOs offering education resources and support to teachers in teaching about gender based violence and consent.

The Programme for Government states that this Government will develop inclusive and age appropriate curricula for Relationships and Sexuality Education (RSE) and Social, Personal and Health Education (SPHE) across primary and post-primary schools. With the curriculum for Social Personal and Health Education currently under review and redevelopment, it is anticipated that the this topic will be a consideration in the work of the NCCA's curriculum development groups as a revised curriculum in this area is developed over the coming years.